GBT Brings Together Sickle Cell Disease Influencers at 7th Annual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Therapeutics Conference
Healthcare Providers, Patient Advocates and Policy Makers Will Discuss Issues Impacting SCD Community During National SCD Awareness Month
Livestream of Conference Will Be Available through Collaboration with Sickle Cell Warriors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ:GBT) today announced that it will host the 7th Annual Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Therapeutics Conference on Thursday, September 13, 2018, at the Park Central Hotel in New York. Taking place during National SCD Awareness Month, the Conference highlights the latest medical advances and future trends in the treatment of patients with SCD. The program will feature panel discussions and presentations from leading physicians, patient advocates and healthcare policymakers on a range of issues and topics including the clinical consequences of SCD beyond vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), the impact of SCD on quality of life, and innovative programs to improve patient access to care. The Conference will also feature updates from the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), as well as corporate presentations from industry leaders.
“As host of the annual SCD Therapeutics Conference for the second year in a row, we’re thrilled to bring together a diverse group of individuals to address the therapeutic challenges presented by the complex and varied nature of this disease, and discuss future trends that are likely to positively impact the community,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and chief executive officer of GBT. “As a forum to connect a unique group of participants and attendees with varied perspectives, the Conference fosters necessary discussions about how we can all work together to make a meaningful impact on the lives of people in the sickle cell community through drug development, educational programs and quality of care.”
The SCD Therapeutics Conference will feature the following speakers:
- Lakiea Bailey, Ph.D., Director, Sickle Cell Community Consortium
- Lanetta Bronte, M.D., M.P.H., MSPH, President and CEO, Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Sickle Cell Care and Research Network
- Carlton Dampier, M.D., Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
- Charlotte Flemmings, B.A., M.P.A., Founder, Sickle Cycle
- Beverley Francis-Gibson, B.A., M.A., President and CEO, SCDAA
- Dominique Goodson, B.A., Project Manager, Sickle Cell Disease Community Forum
- Victor R. Gordeuk, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
- W. Keith Hoots, M.D., Director, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- Edward Donnell Ivy, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Officer, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
- Terry Jackson, Ph.D., Patient Advocate
- Diane Nugent, M.D., Chief of Hematology, Children’s Hospital Orange County
- Carolyn Rowley, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Cayenne Wellness Center
- Lisa M. Shook, M.A., MCHES, CCP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Rosalyn Stewart, M.D., MBA, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine
- John J. Strouse, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
- Cassandra Trimnell, B.A., Founder and Executive Director, Sickle Cell 101
- Elliott Vichinsky, M.D., Medical Director, Hematology/Oncology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
Additionally, multiple companies that are developing or commercializing treatments for patients with SCD will present at the Conference: addmedica, CRISPR Therapeutics, Emmaus Life Sciences, GBT, Imara, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Modus Therapeutics.
To ensure that those who are unable to attend the Conference can benefit from the presentations and information sharing, GBT is collaborating with Sickle Cell Warriors, an SCD community organization, to livestream the Conference on the organization’s Facebook page at . GBT will also post videos following the event on its corporate . For more information about the Conference, visit .
GBT is partnering with a number of organizations during the month of September to provide education and increase awareness of SCD through social media promotion, educational material development, and sponsorship of local educational and awareness events.
About Sickle Cell Disease
SCD is a lifelong inherited blood disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the beta-chain of hemoglobin, which leads to the formation of abnormal hemoglobin known as sickle hemoglobin (HbS). In its deoxygenated state, HbS has a propensity to polymerize, or bind together, forming long, rigid rods within a red blood cell (RBC). The polymer rods deform RBCs to assume a sickled shape and to become inflexible, which causes hemolytic anemia (the destruction of RBCs) that can lead to multi-organ damage and early death. This sickling process also causes blockage in capillaries and small blood vessels. Beginning in childhood, SCD patients typically suffer unpredictable and recurrent episodes or crises of severe pain due to blocked blood flow to organs, which often lead to psychosocial and physical disabilities.
About GBT
GBT is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company determined to discover, develop and deliver innovative treatments that provide hope to underserved patient communities. GBT is developing two therapies for the potential treatment of sickle cell disease, including its late-stage product candidate, voxelotor, as an oral, once-daily therapy. To learn more, please visit and follow the company on Twitter .
Contact Information:
Myesha Lacy (investors)
GBT
650-351-4730
Julie Normart (media)
W2Opure
415-946-1087
